Chapter 1

On the day of her fifth wedding anniversary, Carmen Whitman had to attend a design contest overseas. So, she went to the office to get her personal information. Taking her file through the glass, she verified the details before correcting the officer. "Hi, there's something wrong with my marital status. I'm married, not divorced." Carmen's husband was Claudio Weiss, a renowned heir in Regallo. He was insanely possessive and would never agree to let her leave him. To her surprise, the officer checked several times and said matter-of-factly, "Everything checks out. You finalized the divorce procedure with Mr. Weiss exactly three years ago, and he remarried Ms. Rosalia Santos on the same day. Do you know her?" Carmen immediately stiffened. It felt like she had plunged into an icy abyss. She didn't just know Rosalia—she knew her all too well. Rosalia was hopelessly obsessed with Claudio. Five years ago, she crashed their wedding ceremony. It took 20 bodyguards to subdue her. Four years ago, she lay on his work desk, wearing nothing but her birthday suit. He called the police on her and had her detained for 20 days. What happened three years ago was a complete nightmare for Carmen as well. Failing to win Claudio's heart, Rosalia barged into her studio and mercilessly chopped off her right hand in a fit of rage. When he learned about what happened, he swore he would kill Rosalia, his eyes flashing with fury. Carmen had to hold him back with all her strength to stop him from doing something horrible. Still hell-bent on punishing Rosalia, he locked her up, lashed her with a whip, and tortured her every day. He swore he would make her suffer a fate much, much worse than imprisonment because she hurt the person he loved the most. Now, however, Carmen learned that Claudio had married Rosalia on the same day her hand was chopped off. How was she supposed to believe something like that? She was frozen in disbelief when she received a text from him. "Carmy, it's our fifth anniversary today. We'll celebrate it once I'm done torturing Rosalia. I love you to bits." Carmen spaced out as she stared at the screen. For the past five years, he had ended every text with "I love you to bits", and his love for her had remained passionate and overwhelming. Back then, she was just a rookie designer who came from an unassuming family background. Yet, Claudio, who was a CEO with a net worth of over 100 billion dollars, fell in love with her at first sight and never stopped pursuing her. He made the city skyline lit with fireworks, delivered rare roses to her via airplanes, and showered her with insanely expensive jewelry. That wasn't even mentioning the part when he kept confessing to her in different, creative ways. What really moved the needle was when Claudio took an overnight flight back to the country and cooked for her, all because Carmen had a stomachache. Whenever she was disheartened, he would immediately stop his meeting with the top management staff, just so he could crack some corny jokes for her. Whenever Carmen was falsely accused by her colleagues, Claudio didn't hesitate to protect her. He was in a mess himself, and yet his voice remained soft as he told her not to be afraid. He was unforgivingly cold and brutal toward everyone around him, but he reserved all his tenderness and love for her. Was it possible? Would Claudio have betrayed Carmen? As if drawn by some unknown force, she called a cab and headed to the villa on top of the hill. That was where he locked Rosalia up. Carmen could hear faint sobbing from the garden. Taking several steps closer, she got a good look at what was happening through the cascading wisteria, and she was immediately dumbstruck. Claudio was dressed in a sharp suit, and he looked tall and imposing from behind. Raising his hand, he lashed at Rosalia with a feather whip over and over. Meanwhile, Rosalia was tied to the swing. She was stripped naked and radiated an irresistible charm. Amid her relentless, sensual gasps, he tossed the whip aside, leaned in close, and claimed her lips, domineering and full of longing. Their bodies were intertwined. All of his clothes were soon on the ground, and beads of sweat rolled off his back. Carmen's face turned pale. It felt like someone had ripped her heart to shreds. As it turned out, it wasn't sobbing that she heard. Instead, it was Rosalia's sensual moans. The so-called lashes and torture were actually romantic and tantalizing. He called the villa Rosalia's prison, but it was actually their love nest. Carmen gawked at the swaying swing set. Claudio had put in his blood, sweat, and tears to make it for her. It had taken him an entire month to do it, too. Back then, he had said to her in a tender voice, "Carmy, you deserve all the rare and beautiful things in the world. The swing set belongs to you and no one else, and so is my love." Now, however, he gave the swing set and his love to another lady. Worse, he gave them to Rosalia, who very nearly ruined Carmen. Carmen trembled all over, digging her nails so deeply into the heart of her palms that she drew blood. A sharp pain ripped through her from head to toe. Why? Why did he do something like this? Before long, Carmen had her answer. At that moment, Claudio and Rosalia were done with their erotic business on the swing set. "Darling, you're so amazing. I've never felt this good." Rosalia's cheeks turned red. "My heart swells with joy whenever I recall that I'm actually married to you. It's like I'm in a dream I never want to wake up from." "You deserve it." Claudio slowly put on his shirt. "Three years ago, I mentioned in passing that I didn't want Carmy to study abroad because I wanted her by my side forever. "Then, you chopped her hand off with a machete, making it impossible for her to draw any design drafts. Afterward, you even turned yourself in, saying that you'd gladly be imprisoned if it meant I could grasp the happiness I want. "I've always been cold and heartless, but I'm not dead inside. Your selfless love moved me deeply. While Carmy openly has my love, you chose to be hidden away in a villa. It's only right that I make it up to you by giving you the title you deserve." Carmen stumbled back, her steps unsteady. The ache in her heart was so unbearable that she almost passed out. Back then, one of the heirs mocked her for the loss of her right hand, and Claudio ordered his men to rip the heir's tongue out without hesitation. Blood was still dripping on the floor as he snarled icily, "This is what happens to anyone who badmouths Carmy." Now, however, Claudio had the person who had chopped Carmen's hand off in his embrace. He kissed her, showered her with love, and gave her a title. "What if Ms. Whitman finds out about it?" Rosalia looked concerned. "I know her well, and she's not going to back down without a fight." Claudio responded calmly, "My love for Carmy has never changed, and I intend to protect her for the rest of my life. She'll never find out about this." Before he left, he slipped a pink diamond ring onto her finger. Rosalia let out a surprised yelp and said, "This is the last and most expensive item up for bid last night. This ring from Sotheby's is worth 100 million dollars. I-I'm not even sure if I deserve something this expensive!" "You're my wife. Of course, you do." Claudio pecked her lips. "Honey, happy third anniversary." Carmen waited until the black Porsche Cayenne was gone before she drove away in a daze. Her phone buzzed, and she tapped the screen, her movement mechanical. "Carmy, I'm on my way home. I can't wait to celebrate our fifth anniversary together, sweetie. I love you to bits." Carmen suddenly let out a laugh. Tears ran down her cheeks, and her heart ached as if someone clutched it mercilessly. Claudio had just celebrated his third anniversary with Rosalia, and yet he was talking about a five-year anniversary with Carmen now. But it was just a lie. Apparently, they had been divorced for three long years. If his so-called love meant taking away her independence and trapping her for her entire life, she'd rather give it up for good. Claudio sounded very confident that Carmen would never find out about it, but he couldn't be more wrong. On the contrary, he was about to lose her forever. Tightening her grip on the Pendalith Design Contest form, she turned around and set out to do two things that mattered.